In the related art, as a vehicle door lock device, a device disclosed in JP 2008-115615A (paragraphs [0049] to [0054] and FIG. 9 to FIG. 11) (Reference 1) is known. The device is configured to include an active lever which is driven to swivel by an electric motor, and a release lever which is interconnected with a latching mechanism and is able to release a vehicle door maintained in a state by the latching mechanism. Also, when the active lever swivels, a pressing section thereof presses a curved contact section of a release input board, and thereby the release input board swivels along with a rotary sliding board. Accordingly, a swivel-connection protrusion of the rotary sliding board presses a protruding contact section of the release lever through a certain free-running zone, and thereby the release lever swivels. The release lever swivels, and thereby the vehicle door maintained in a state by the latching mechanism is released.
Incidentally, Reference 1 discloses a configuration in which swiveling of the active lever is transmitted to the release lever through the release input board and the rotary sliding board, and thereby it is inevitable that the device is increased in size, overall. Therefore, the present applicant has studied a configuration in which the swiveling of the active lever is directly transmitted to the release lever such that the release input board and the rotary sliding board are eliminated. In this case, the release lever may have a curved contact section similar to the release input board and the pressing section of the active lever may press the curved contact section.
However, there is increasing demand for a device that is easily mounted to a vehicle, but on the other hand, there is demand for a device that is decreased in size, overall.